Dust and Embers
by LolaX
Summary: While in the Mojave desert on the trail of a mysterious and elusive creature, Mulder and Scully find themselves lost. Their bravery, trust and faith in themselves and each other is tested as they try to survive. Final chapter up! Please review!
1. Pride Comes Before A Fall

"Dust and Embers"

_**Hope you like this story. It just popped into my head while I was in an English Literature Lecture last week. let me know what you think so I can decide if I should continue. Chapter 2 is ready, let me know if you want it!**_

**Pride comes before a fall.**

"Scully, hold on a second!" Mulder panted as he scrambled up the hill after his partner. He was finding it hard to get up the sandy slope. The sun-baked soil was disturbed under his heavy feet and rose into the air in a dusty cloud. He coughed as the dust blew back into his face and the orange powder coated his sweat-drenched white polo shirt.

Scully had already reached the top of the ridge. "Come on, Mulder." She called down to him, pulling her binoculars and a bottle of water from her backpack. She took a swig of the water and when Mulder joined her she handed him the bottle.

"I'm so hot and thirsty!" He gratefully gulped down some of the liquid as Scully scanned the desert before them. Mulder finished the water. "See it?" He walked behind Scully to place the empty bottle back into the bag.

"No, no sign of it. Hey! That water was supposed to last the whole day! Why did you drink all of it? Well, if you think I am trekking back to the car to get more, you have another thing coming!"

Scully raised her eyebrow at him and he just smiled.

"I'll go back later." Mulder said and grabbed the binoculars from her, putting them up to his eyes and looking over the edge of the ridge. "LOOK THERE IT IS!" He yelled. Scully ran to his side and looked to where he pointed. Mulder smirked and laughed. "Ha! Made you look!"

Scully rolled her eyes, sighed and took off the backpack and dumped it on the ground. "Well, now _you_ can carry this on the way back!" Mulder nodded, not really listening.

Scully walked to the edge, a few feet from where Mulder stood, and stood beside a huge rock. She smiled to herself as she picked up a small rock. Mulder paid no attention to her; he was too busy scanning the landscape for any sign of their quarry.

Scully crouched behind the very large sandy rock, clutching the small rock tightly. With a deep breath, she threw the rock over the edge of the ridge so it dislodged some of the sand and screamed,

"Argh! Mulder!"

Mulder looked around and panic came across his face; he thought Scully had fallen. He ran to the edge and leant over, yelling "Scully! SCULLY!"

She emerged from behind the rock, smirking. "I had you!"

Mulder looked embarrassed and angry. "No you didn't!" She continued to smirk and he was cross, but he didn't say any more on the subject. "Come on. Let's look somewhere else."

He swung the backpack onto his shoulder and proceeded down the sandy slope. Scully watched him go, smiling to herself. She was always able to trick Mulder, and he was always gullible.

She began to follow him, but lost her footing on the sandy soil of the ledge. It crumbled beneath her boots and she fell. "Mulder!" Scully screamed, holding tightly to a root protruding from the cliff. It wouldn't hold for long and the soil around it was already starting to crumble and fall the hundred feet down to the valley floor. "MULDER!"

"Whatever, Scully!" He was at the bottom of the slope, heading back towards the dirt track where the Taurus was parked. He called back to her over his shoulder, "Don't think I'm gonna fall for that again!"

Scully's sweating palms were making it difficult for her to maintain her grip on the root, and her feet scrabbled against the rock face, her heart racing.

"MULDER!" She yelled again, desperately. "Help me! Please help me!" her scream echoed around the valley and Mulder realised that this time she wasn't joking. He spun round and began to tear up the crumbling hill.

The soil moved under his feet in a perpetual landslide, but somehow he managed to progress closer and closer to the top. His boots scraped up the last few metres and he flung himself to the edge, peering over to a distraught Scully. He lay on his stomach and extended his hand to her. "Grab my hand!" But she couldn't reach. Mulder stretched further and further out to her, and almost toppled over himself. "Mulder be careful!" Scully wailed, tears beginning to form.

"Hold on Scully!" Mulder yelled, turning back onto the ridge and opening the backpack. He searched through it in hope of finding some rope or something for her to grab on to. Nothing.

He stood up and began to undo his belt. He held the leather strap over the ledge and leant down so Scully could grab it in one hand. "Both hands!" he instructed. With a deep breath, Scully let go of the root and grabbed the belt tightly. Mulder began to haul her upwards. He had pulled her up about a foot, when the root system she had been holding onto gave way and fell far down to the valley floor.

"Don't look down!" Mulder yelled. "Almost there." He gave one last pull and Scully cleared the edge of the cliff and fell into his arms. Mulder hugged her to him.

"I'm sorry." She said quietly. "I was so stupid." Mulder just hugged her, and then together they descended the slope, back to the safety of the car.


	2. Dust Devils

**Dust Devils**

Mulder climbed into the driver's seat and turned the key in the ignition. The engine rumbled into life and Mulder sped them down the dirt track. Soon the track ended and Mulder stopped the car at a dead end. Blocking their way was a huge cliff of rock, with cliffs on either side. They were in a valley. Scully groaned and rolled her eyes. Mulder switched off the engine and looked at his watch.

"Well, we've got about four hours of daylight left. What do you say to a bit of a nature hike?"

After packing the rest of the provisions, water and other equipment, Mulder hitched the backpack onto his back and they set off through a narrow gap in the valley wall. It led them out of the shade and into the glaring sunlight of a desert plain. Mulder pulled out his favourite sunglasses, pulled up the collar of his polo shirt and did his best Elvis impression, curling his lip and looking at Scully. "Uh-huh huh!"

"Good one Mulder." She smiled; glad the mood had lightened.

"Thank you very much." He said, Elvis-style, as he watched her put on her own sunglasses.

They carried on across the desert, keeping as close to the shade of the cliffs as possible. Mulder glanced around every few minutes, checking for any sign of the creature they were looking for.

He rummaged in the pockets of the backpack and pulled out the binoculars and the map. He handed the latter to Scully who unfolded it and looked for their current position. After about an hour, they came across an outcrop of rock on top of which were perched several buzzards. Mulder began to scramble up to the top, setting the birds off as he went. They flew high, deftly using the thermals to lift them lazily into the sky. Scully stood at the bottom and admired them soaring through the milky-blue sky and heat haze. She sat down on a small ledge and waited, not really feeling like scaling another cliff after the incident of a few hours ago.

"Mulder, can I have some water?" She called up to him. She expected him to throw a bottle down to her, but instead he appeared at her side, carrying a large rock.

"Look at this, Scully." He said, crouching down in front of her and placing the stone on the ground.

On the rock was an old Navajo painting depicting a sandstorm, a dust devil. "That's what we are after!" Mulder said triumphantly. "The report said that the ranger had seen what looked like a large dog running towards him, but then it disappeared just as a dust devil started. The dust devil surrounded the creature and then it was gone!" He was getting excited now, his eyes shining. "The Navajo believe in the chindi and this is what I think the ranger saw!"

"The chindi?" Scully asked, her sceptical eyebrow rising.

"Yeah. A chindi. The ghost believed to be released by a dying breath! The chindi is almost always considered to be an evil force, avenging the person who released it at their death. Dust devils are one of the signs of the chindi. They say clockwise dust devils are good spirits and counter-clockwise are bad."

Scully stared at him.

"And how do you explain the creature? What was that then?"

Mulder smiled, "Let's find out!"

Scully led the way further into the desert, Mulder following her and talking incessantly about the Navajo. Scully switched off after a few minutes. Eventually she stopped and turned around, but Mulder was no longer behind her.

"Mulder?" She called back along the trail they had walked. No answer. She followed her set of footprints back for a few minutes and found where Mulder's had ended. In the cliff face was a small fissure, only just big enough for a person to fit through. Obviously Mulder had gone through it. "Mulder?" She called again. From some distance away his voice called back.

"Come in here Scully!"

Scully glanced behind her apprehensively before slipping easily through the small gap in the rock.  
She didn't notice that high on the cliff above them, a gust of wind had begun to whip up a dust devil.  
A large black shaped began to crawl down the rock face towards the fissure, leaving a trail of drips of blood in its wake.


	3. Mine, All Mine

**Mine, all mine**

After passing through the crack in the rock, Scully found herself in a small cave. It was a relief from the heat and glaring sun of the desert to be inside the dark, damp, coolness of the cave. Scully looked around for Mulder, but she couldn't see him in the shadowy cavern.

"Mulder, where are you?" She asked.

"Down here." She saw his head poke out from a small hole down near the floor of the cave, illuminated by the torch in his hand. "It's an old mine shaft."

"Why did you come in here, Mulder?" Scully crouched down by the hole. "You don't want me to get in there with you do you?"

Mulder smiled. "I came in here simply to explore. But then I saw some light coming from down here. Come on." He moved away so Scully could climb down.

"How on earth did you fit down here?" Scully said as she struggled to get her small frame through the hole in the rock. "Give me a hand?"

"With a lot of wriggling and sucking in!" Mulder laughed from down in the hole as he grabbed Scully by the waist and lowered her gently down to the cave floor. "Here we are." He picked up his torch from the floor. "What would produce light down here Scully?"

She looked puzzled. "I don't know, Mulder." He flicked the torch around the walls, and a blue glow shone back at them. "Copper." Scully affirmed. "This was a copper mine."

Mulder nodded, bent down slightly and set off down the narrow, low tunnel. Scully hurried after him.

"Do we only have the one flashlight?"

"No. Here you are." He pulled the other flashlight from the pack. "But, we don't want to waste the batteries."

"And we can't stay down here too long, Mulder. It will be sunset soon." Scully warned her partner.

"I know. I just want to explore a bit."

A sudden, loud banging sound filled the air in the tunnel and Scully grabbed Mulder's hand in fright. "Jeez, what the hell was that?" Mulder turned back towards the way they had come, pulling Scully with him.

They jogged back up the tunnel, towards the hole they had scrambled through. But it was not there. Instead they came upon a large pile of rocks and rubble blocking their way back.

"A rock-fall." Mulder pointed out obviously. He looked at the size of the boulders and sighed. "We're trapped Scully."

Mulder handed Scully his flashlight and began to try and move the rocks, but to no avail. They were far too big and heavy. "Great!" He groaned sarcastically, wiping the dust from the rocks on his shorts. "We are well and truly stuck. What do you think we should do now?"

"Let's head a bit further down the tunnel." Scully suggested. "There might be another way out to the surface if it doesn't get much deeper."

The agents went further into the blackness of the tunnel, their flashlights illuminating the path ahead. It grew colder and the feeling in the air told them that they were going deeper underground. Neither said a word. The creature they had come to the desert the track down was forgotten as they searched for a way out.

But little did they know that the large black shape skulked in the shadows on the wall of the tunnel. A pair of red eyes opened and the creature sniffed the air as the agents passed by. It climbed down from its perch on the wall and stalked after them, almost silently.


	4. Follow You Into The Dark

**So sorry for the wait! I have been busy…This chapter is dedicated to all my reviewers especially AbFab and Mrs. Dana K. Mulder. And (for Mrs. Dana K. Mulder) it will explain how our favourite Agents got to be in the desert in the first place… Enjoy!**

**Chapter 4**

**Follow you into the dark****.**

The tunnel opened out wider into a cave and they hit a dead end. Mulder put down the backpack and slumped to the ground, looking at his watch.

"Looks like we are stuck here for the night Scully."

She walked a few feet further and sighed. "I guess your right Mulder. Did you check your cell? I have no signal so I doubt you do."

Mulder pulled out his phone. "No signal, and my battery is almost dead. We just have to wait out the night and then find a way out of here." He opened the backpack and began to unpack some provisions. Scully came and sat next to him. He handed her a big bottle of water, some packets of dried food and a square tin pan. "We can have ourselves a good old-fashioned camp-out. Except we're in a cave, not out under the stars." He said looking up at the dark cave roof. "Never mind! This is gonna be fun. Just me and you, roughing it in the wilderness!"

Scully rolled her eyes and smiled as Mulder unpacked the tiny gas camping stove and set about trying to light it. After a few minutes, the stove was lit and Mulder had set some water to boil. Scully emptied the packet food into the pan and began to mix it with the boiling water, while Mulder made them both cups of coffee with the rest of the boiling water. They sipped at the coffee and Mulder began to hum gently to try and break the silence. Their food was soon ready.

"Mmm…freeze dried stew!" Mulder joked as Scully handed him a steaming bowl of stew.

"I know it's not that nice, but it will have to do. We haven't got anything else, so eat up…" She smiled at him and they both ate in silence, watching the shadows cast by the flickering light of the stove dance across the roof of the cave.

After they had eaten Mulder pulled a blanket and sleeping bag from the bag and handed Scully the sleeping bag.

"You have this. It's more comfy." He wrapped the blanket around his body and lay on his side facing her as she wriggled into the sleeping bag.

"Do you think we will find anything, Mulder?" Scully asked, facing him, her bright blue eyes glowing in the firelight. "I mean what if this is just a wild goose chase? We could be wasting time."

"I believe it Scully. Something is out here and we need to find it before it does something to someone."

"But Mulder you…" Scully said sceptically, but Mulder interrupted her.

"Goodnight Scully." He rolled onto his back and closed his eyes.

"Night Mulder."

Silence. They both lay still for a few minutes, neither moving nor saying anything else. Scully couldn't stand it any longer. She had to say something.

"Mulder, you asleep?"

The only reply was a light snore. Scully sighed and concentrated on the cave roof above her head. She continued to watch the shadows cast by the flames, and as she drifted off to sleep Scully remembered back to that morning when Skinner had assigned them to this case. Well, kind of.

**Flashback**

"**Agent Scully?"**

"**Yes sir?"**

"**Do you know where agent Mulder has got to?"**

"**No, sir."**

**It was early morning and they were sat in Skinner's office. The venetian blinds were down but open slightly and the pink light of the dawn was beginning to filter into the room in strips. The AD tapped his foot impatiently and reached for the phone.**

"**I'm gonna call him."**

**Just then Mulder barged through the door, a large file clutched in his hand.**

"**Sorry I'm late sir. I had this file come through just now."**

**He handed it over the desk to Skinner and sat down in a chair beside his partner.**

"**Do you wish to follow this up, Agent Mulder?" Skinner asked as he flicked through the file.**

"**Yes sir. I believe that these sightings can be substantiated by several previous x-files. I can show you them if you like."**

"**That won't be necessary Agent Mulder. Do you believe that there is evidence that these sightings could escalate into something more…violent?"**

"**Yes sir. I believe that if we can evaluate the situation…"**

**Skinner cut Mulder off. "Alright. This seems much more pressing than the fraud case I had planned for you two. I will pass that on to another pair of agents. Do you want me to arrange transport to the desert Agent Mulder? I will arrange you a Cessna flight."**

"**Thank you sir."**

"**Let me have a report as soon as you can. Keep me posted."**

**The agents left the office, Mulder about to stride quickly ahead down to the office.**

"**Mulder." Scully grabbed his arm and turned him to face her. "What exactly is the nature of this case? What are we dealing with?"**

"**Something unexplained." He led the way down to the basement. "And for once I don't have any slides with which to better illustrate!" **

**In the basement the agents packed for the desert expedition and found more suitable attire than their usual suits.**

"**We can get a Bu-car from the field office." Mulder explained. "We need to speak to the local Bureau, then we can get out in the wilderness."**

"**So what exactly do you think the ranger saw Mulder?"**

"**Well, there are several documented x-files cases of sightings of old legends in the desert."**

"**Legends?"**

"**Yeah. From the Navajo for example."**

"**They are legends Mulder! So exactly how are they connected to what the ranger saw?**

"**I don't know Scully. It's one of my hunches, but we have to try to…ARGHH SCULLY!!"**

Scully's eyes snapped open. That scream had not been in her dream. She turned to where Mulder had been sleeping and saw his blanket thrown open and ripped. She scrambled desperately out of the sleeping bag and grabbed the blanket. There were huge claw marks on it and her hand felt sticky with warm red substance. Blood.

"Mulder! Mulder!"

She looked around the cave, but it was dark now. The stove had gone out. Scully fumbled for her torch in the dark. As her hands groped around the floor she could hear Mulder's yells echoing from back down the tunnel.

"SCULLY! Scully! Help…" His yells got quieter and quieter as Scully's hands finally closed around the cold metal shaft of the torch. She set off at a run down the tunnel, straining to hear Mulder.

Scully tore through the tunnels searching for her partner, but to no avail. After a few minutes she reached the familiar rock fall from the previous day.

Flicking the torch beam around Scully spotted some dark drips on the sandy ground. She bent down and touched the drop of Mulder's blood with her index finger. It was still warm.

"MULDER? MULDER!" She yelled, her throat hoarse with fear. "Mulder can you hear me?"

She heard a thud and a rattling breath a few yards behind her and spun around to see Mulder drop from the roof of the tunnel and fall to the floor in a crumpled heap. In a second she was at his side.

"Oh my God. Mulder!"

He was conscious but was bleeding from every opening on his face and there was a large bloody gash in his side. Scully held him and cradled his head in her hands. He tried to sit up.

"No Mulder. Stay still."

"Scully," he croaked "I don't know where it went. It's still here somewhere…" His eyes had rolled to the ceiling and he gasped as the large black shadow of the creature appeared above them.

"Scully!"

Without thinking she drew her gun and fired two rounds at the roof above them. The creature let out an unearthly screech and pounced on the agents as the rocks began to crumble down upon them.


	5. Hair Of The Dog

_**Hi lovely readers! Sorry for the wait but I got this chapter up as fast as possible. Keep up the feedback because I'm a bit self-conscious with my writing so you all make me feel better! Hope you like it. xxx**_

Chapter Five

**Hair of the dog**

The dust from the rock fall filled the cave with an orange mist. From beneath a large pile of rubble a weak cough could be heard. It was Mulder. He pushed the rocks off of his body already feeling the bruises the debris had caused spike painfully, along with the gash in his side, in protest to his movement. Thankfully the rocks had not been too large and he hadn't broken anything. He hauled his aching body out from the rubble and began to try and clear the rocks. He lifted a particularly large rock and was frightened to see a pool of blood where he had been lying a moment ago. He continued to remove the rocks desperate to uncover Scully.

"Scully…" He gasped as he cleared more of the rocks, expecting to find her battered and bruised body. He managed to muster up some more strength, ignoring the pain in his head and side, and moved all the rocks. To his horror he found…nothing. Nothing but some blood and Scully's torch, both her and her gun were gone. Oh how he hoped that blood was the creature's or his own…

"Scully!" He yelled, picking up her torch and squeezing his way back down the tunnel before setting off at a limping run. Now it was his turn to go after her.

After a few feet Mulder stopped, clutching at his chest. He stood bent double with his hands on his knees and coughing dryly with pain. His watering eyes noticed a footprint on the dusty ground.

"Scully!" He called out again and from the depths of the tunnel he could hear her cries but couldn't make out what she was saying. He ignored the pain in his side and forced himself to carry on at a run.

The tunnel was dark and cold, and Mulder could feel his freezing and tired body protesting; he was sure that he was in shock. He carried on, clutching once more at the pain in his torso. He felt a warm dampness on his previously white polo shirt but did not look down in fear of what he would see.

His breath burned in his chest as he ran as fast as he could, skidding to a halt at the sight of their campsite. Scully was half-lying, half-sitting slumped against the cave wall. He knelt at her side and grabbed her shoulder. She looked at him her eyes trying to focus.

"You hurt?" He asked gently noticing a cut on her brow and a split in her lip. She nodded towards her left leg.

"My leg's broken, Mulder."

"Don't worry. Where's the creature Scully?"

"I don't know. It was injured, I know that. I shot it and it was bleeding." She seemed to be more composed now, the medical doctor in her beginning to show. "But Mulder what about you? You must be in shock." She noticed his shirt and her voice wavered. "Mulder, you're bleeding so much!"

"I know," he said as he dragged himself towards his bag and pulled out the first aid kit.

He hauled himself back to sit beside Scully and with fumbling hands he lit the stove again.

He pulled out bandages and splints from the bag and set about securing Scully's leg while she cleaned her cuts with some antiseptic wipes. After she was cleaned up, Mulder grabbed a sewing kit from the bag and set about sterilising a needle in the flames. Scully watched him. "Mulder what are you doing?"

"Do you know how to sew?" He asked, no humour in his voice as he removed his shirt and began to wipe blood from his side with a flannel. "I want to you to sew up the wound. Can you do that?"

She nodded gravely and said,

"Mulder, this is gonna hurt a hell of a lot…"

He smiled weakly and reached into a small pocket of the bag, extracting a small hip flask. He took a swig of the whiskey and then rubbed some of the alcohol onto his wound. He let out a harsh yell as the golden brown liquid stung his flesh. Scully grabbed his hand and squeezed it tight.

"You ready?" She asked tenderly, her voice full of worry.  
Mulder took another large swig of whiskey and handed her the flask and the needle and thread. He moved closer to her as she rubbed the alcohol onto her hands and threaded the needle.

"Ready when you are Dr Scully."  
Mulder winced as the needle pierced his skin and he let out many an agonising groan as Scully carefully drew the wound together.

With a bandage wrapped around his torso to cover his newly stitched wound, Mulder slept on his uninjured side inside the sleeping bag. With her gun close by, Scully sat at Mulder's side running her hand soothingly through his hair. She had taken some painkillers for her leg which was now tightly bound in a makeshift splint. Mulder stirred in pain a few times in his light sleep but did not wake up.  
Despite it being torn and bloodied, Scully pulled the blanket around them both and held Mulder's hand. Scully looked at her watch. They had been underground for nearly 24 hours now and the cold, damp air and darkness was affecting them both. She leant down and kissed Mulder's forehead before pressing her lips into his hair and whispering desperately.

"We need to get out of here, Mulder."


	6. Sands of Time

**_Hey everyone! Here is the next action packed chapter! Hope you enjoy it. I have a day off from University tomorrow so I hope to finish the final chapters of "Dust and Embers". Glad you are enjoying. If so, please click that little button and review! It is much appreciated. Thanks xxx_**

**_P.S. My Christmassy story "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year" is now up and I would appreciate any reviews. If you enjoy Christmas fluffiness, go read it!_**

**Chapter Six  
****Sands of time**

Mulder stirred in his sleep, waking up slightly and aware of the pain in his side, yet strangely comfortable. There was pressure of someone leaning against his back and a pair of arms wrapped around him, hugging him from behind. He opened his eyes. It took a moment for him to remember where he was and what had happened. He gasped and coughed, the pain rippling through his new stitches. The cough, which shook his body, had woken Scully.

"Mulder?" She asked sleepily, her chin resting on his shoulder blade. "How you feeling? Are you alright? Do you want me to move?" She noticed how they were lying but didn't remove her arms from around him.

"No, Scully. You can stay where you are. I'm okay, I just need to know you're there."

Scully, careful not to hurt him, nuzzled her face into his back.

"I'm here Mulder…I can't really go anywhere. Not with this leg." One of her hands lay gently on his back, the other arm around his waist. Mulder took her hand and squeezed tightly, both agents falling back into a restless slumber.

A loud screech echoed around the cave and both agents woke with a start. Mulder sat up and scrambled to his feet, pulling his gun from its holster. Scully flicked on the flashlight.

"See anything?" Mulder whispered urgently. He stared around in the darkness. "Shine the light over there." He indicated to a corner of the cave. In the torchlight a small fissure in the rock was illuminated.

"I think it went down there." Mulder said. "I'm gonna go check it out." He grabbed the other flashlight.

"Keep your weapon ready. I'll be back."

"Be careful Mulder." Scully said, "You're still not completely better."

"I'll be fine."

Mulder peered into the gap in the rock; he would never be able to fit down there. He pointed the weapon at the rock and fired two rounds. The crack opened up larger.

"Mulder?" Scully yelled. "Are you alright? I heard shots fired!"

"I'm fine Scully." He called back. "I was just opening up the crack a bit. I can fit through it now."

He passed through the gap, careful not to brush his side on the rocks, and found himself in another cavern. He noticed a hole in the roof of the cavern, a small shaft of daylight shining down into the darkness. Mulder passed the torchlight around the walls and let out a strained gasp.

Plastered over all the walls were hundreds of corpses; some just skeletons, some decomposing and others almost fresh. He walked over to one of the walls and looked at a new corpse. It was a park ranger, dressed in his uniform.

"Oh my God." Mulder breathed, and turned to hurry back to Scully, but a large black shape blocked his path.

The creature looked at him with its red eyes. It seemed to be studying him, waiting to attack. It was as tall as Mulder was, black and menacing, a cross between a wolf, a bat and some sort of reptile. Mulder stood still, frightened yet in awe of the creature. He held his hands out to it in a display of peace, but knowing it was useless. The creature's breath rattled and it bared its teeth, sharp and dirty.

Mulder backed away slightly, his back bumping into the corpse-covered wall. The creature advanced on him, enjoying toying with his fear. The creature pounced, but Mulder pulled his gun and fired three rounds straight into its chest. It fell back writhing in pain, flailing its wing-like arms. Mulder rushed past it and back through the crack to where Scully sat.

"We gotta get out of here Scully. It's killed so many people. That cave back there is full of bodies." He began to grab their stuff and cram it into the backpack. He slung it onto his shoulders and bent down next to Scully.

"Can you move? Can you stand?" Mulder grabbed her under the arms.

"I can try. But I can't put pressure on the leg."

Mulder helped her up and she stood leaning, wobbly, against him.

"Let's go." He helped her move towards the fissure.

"Ow!" Scully stumbled. "I can't do this Mulder. I can't walk on it."

"I'll have to carry you then." Mulder took a deep breath and scooped her up into his arms. He had never had to carry Scully; she was so independent and strong. He wasn't used to seeing her show her vulnerable side, and now there was nothing he could do but carry her. He was amazed at how light she felt, despite the pain in his side. He made no indication of this, attempting not to wince but he was sure that if he had to carry her for any period of time his stitches would split.

They made their way slowly into the other chamber. Mulder was shocked to find that the creature had once again disappeared. He had been sure that it would have died.

"Damn it!" He said as he lowered Scully to the floor. "I thought I had killed it." He looked around and then up at the hole to the surface. "How are we gonna get up there?" Scully followed his gaze.

"It's very high Mulder. I don't think we have a chance of reaching it." She sighed in pain and clutched her leg. "This hurts so bad!"

"I know. Don't worry, we'll think of something. We always do!" He looked around again. "I hope that thing doesn't come back. I could try to climb up there…"

"No. You might fall, and then what would I do?" She said anxiously.

"Well I don't think we have any other options." Mulder stated bluntly. "I'm gonna try." He walked up to the wall and attempted to find a foothold.

Suddenly the creature burst from amongst the bodies and threw Mulder to the ground.

"Mulder!" Scully yelled, pulling her gun as Mulder and the creature struggled on the ground.

Scully fired a shot into the creature's back but it continued to attack Mulder. Mulder grabbed it by the head and attempted to push it off him, its jaws snapping at his body. He grabbed at its neck and pulled at its fur while managing to pull out his gun. He pressed the barrel into the creature's scaly chest and fired. The creature screeched, falling back from him. As it lay on the ground, Mulder stood up and fired several rounds into the creature's head, ensuring it was dead.

"Mulder!" Scully yelled desperately and he ran over and hugged her tightly.

Mulder clambered his way up the walls, using the bodies as footholds. After much effort and with burning pain in his arms, he reached the top. Mulder threw an arm out of the hole, grabbed the rocky edge and scrambled out into the sunlight of the desert.

"I made it Scully." He called back down into the cave. "I'll get you out of there. I'll be back soon, I promise." He looked down at her.

Tears were in her eyes, tears of pain and worry.

"Please come back Mulder. I'm…afraid."

"You'll be fine Scully. You're the strongest person I know. Even with a broken leg." He smiled at her and she forced a giggle.

"See you soon."

Mulder ran down onto the desert floor, running as fast as his body would allow. He searched urgently for any sign that he recognised so that he could find his way to the car. He pulled out his cell phone, then remembering it had no battery.

"Damn!" He carried on, the heat haze confusing him and allowing him to see a mirage. He stopped and sighed, his hands on his knees. "Where the hell am I?"

Scully sat uncomfortably on the cave floor trying to keep as calm as possible. She was surrounded by corpses on all the walls and there was a large, strange and hostile creature lying dead on the floor nearby. Every now and again horrible thoughts and doubts would pop into her mind. What if it's still alive? Are there any more of them? What if Mulder gets lost? What if his wound splits? What if he… "No Dana!" she told herself. "Of course he's coming back."

She lay her head down on top of the rucksack and began to drift off, the pain in her leg forgotten with thoughts of Mulder.

Mulder rounded a large rock and stopped for a moment in the shade it cast. There at his feet lay a large rock covered in Navajo paintings of the Chindi. The rock he had found earlier! The car wasn't too far now! He continued on wishing he had bought some water with him. He squeezed his way through the familiar gap in the rock and there, to his immense relief stood their car. He fished the keys from the pocket of his shorts. As he got closer he noticed that the windows were smashed and the bodywork messed up, as though someone had attempted to get them stranded in the desert. The creature did it. That was Mulder's first thought, a crazy thought. But there on the smashed windshield, was a large clump of black fur. Evidence.

Mulder retrieved a shovel from the trunk, and gulped down some water from a near empty bottle in the driver's cup holder, before setting off back into the desert.

As Mulder made his way back to the mine, he noticed a dust devil beginning to form on the horizon. He began to run, not wanting to find out if there was a creature inside it. He made his way down into the mineshaft and approached the rock fall. He began to dig, heaving the rocks away with all the strength he had left.

Scully was asleep with her gun in her hand. Her breathing was steady, and on an in-breath she inhaled a mouthful of sand. She woke up coughing and spluttering and gazed up at the roof of the cave, hoping to see Mulder's face peering down at her through the hole. Instead of seeing Mulder, Scully saw a large amount of sand beginning to pour through the hole. In fact, so much sand that it was beginning to fill the cave, like water from a hose filling a paddling pool. Scully sat up sharply.  
"Mulder!" She yelled as the sand poured in more heavily, covering the body of the creature and now beginning to cover her legs and rising rapidly up her torso. "Mulder! It's the Chindi…"


	7. Up In Arms

_**Ok faithful readers, here is chapter 7 of 10! Nearly finished! Hope you are all still enjoying!**_

**Chapter Seven  
Up in arms**

"Scully?" Mulder could have sworn he heard her yell. "Scully! I'm coming!" Mulder shouted as he moved the remaining boulders. "Scully! Can you hear me?" He heaved the final boulder away and yelled in agony as his stitches began to tear, and warm blood seeped down his torso. "Argh!"

That was Mulder! Scully could hear him from the far depths of the mine. She tried again to call to him, but the sand was now up to her chin and still rising. It was choking her.

Mulder limped down the tunnel noticing a large amount of dust in the air. He began to cough as the dust got thicker. The further he went, the thicker the air became. He realised that this was not dust, but sand. The particles in the air swam in the torchlight as he ran ever closer to the cavern.

"Scully! Scully!" He bellowed as loudly and clearly as he could.

Eventually he reached the place where they had made their campsite, but now it looked more like a beach than a cavern. The whole floor was covered in about a foot of sand, and Mulder began to wade through it towards the gap in the rock. But the gap in the rock was full of sand.

"Scully!" Mulder yelled, frantically digging at the sand, clearing the gap.

In a cloud of sand, Mulder burst into the cavern and stood up. The sand was up to his neck, almost six-foot. "Scully!" He called again, spitting sand out of his mouth. He looked around as he waded through the mass of silicon dioxide. His foot bumped into something. Scully. He looked down but all he could see was sand. With a deep breath, Mulder plunged down into the deep sand.

Mulder's hands felt around in the sand, hoping to find Scully. He went deeper into the sand, his breath not wanting to be held much longer. It was beginning to burn in his lungs; his eyes beginning to water from being squeezed shut tight. Then his left hand felt something cold and metallic. Small and cross-shaped, it was cold against warm skin. Mulder's right hand felt soft hair beneath his fingertips. He had found her. Mulder leant down further and gathered Scully into his arms as best as he could without being able to see her through the deep, heavy sand. He stood up and his head cleared the top of the sand. He hitched Scully up in his arms so that her head and neck were out in the open, and then proceeded to carefully move out through the fissure and into tunnels.

Mulder carried the unconscious Scully all the way up the tunnels and back out into the first cave. It was cool and damp in the cave, and Scully was beginning to feel cold and clammy in Mulder's arms, so he decided that it was bets to get her into the warm for a while. He carried her a little further into the desert and laid her down gently on the ground. His side seared in pain as he knelt down at her side. He pressed his hand to his wound and more hot blood seeped through his shirt. He winced, looking up at the bright blue sky, willing himself to forget the pain.

He felt at Scully's neck for a pulse and was relieved to find it good and strong. He tilted her head back and listened at her open mouth for a breath, but her mouth was filled with sand.

Gently, Mulder put her head to the side and with two fingers began to try and remove the sand from Scully's mouth. He wished he had some water.

With most of the sand clear, Mulder began artificial respiration, but in his mind he called it the 'kiss of life.'

"Please, breathe. Come on Scully! Breathe!" He tried again, forcing air from his own lungs into hers, trying to give her his precious breath to use as her own. Scully began to cough and splutter as she slowly regained consciousness.

"Scully!" Mulder said relieved. "Breathe, breathe in!"

She woke up, terrified. Mulder held her tightly as she realised what had happened and where she was. Scully reached both of her arms upwards and around his neck, clinging to him and gripping at his shoulders in search of comfort. Mulder held her close and she began to sob into his neck, the fear and worry of the last few days finally overwhelming her usually strong emotional defences. For a while neither spoke, but eventually Mulder pulled away. He looked down at Scully and noticed a pool of blood on her shirt. "Scully, you're bleeding."

She looked down too, touched the blood and then looked at his torso.

"No Mulder. This is your blood."

Mulder gasped in pain as Scully moved her hands to his torso.

"Mulder, I'm sorry." She whispered loudly. "The stitches have split."

"I know." He mumbled. "I tore them when I was moving the rocks, and then when I carried you."

"We need to get you bandaged up soon." She said and hugged him around the neck again. She placed a gentle kiss on his cheek, feeling grains of sand beneath her lips.

"I'll get us home, I promise." Mulder said reassuringly. "Some day we're gonna look back on this and laugh. Us against nature; me and you against all it can throw at us. Think of it as finding out where our faith and trust are."

"I don't need to find out where my faith and trust are." Scully mumbled into his shoulder. "They're right here."


	8. Dying Of The Light

**Chapter Eight  
Dying of the light**

When they had both recovered from their shock, Mulder decided that he needed to do something about his side. He stood up and pulled off his already blood-soaked shirt and removed the bandage. He the quickly re-wrapped the piece of material as tightly as he could around his torso before much more blood had time to escape. Then he began to search through the pockets of his shorts for anything helpful. His cell-phone was out of battery. Scully tried hers; no signal.

Mulder swore loudly, his shout echoing back to them. Scully laughed and Mulder joined her.

They both shouted random words as loud as they could and listened to their voices echoing back at them. In his pockets Mulder found the following items; his wallet, his FBI badge, a plastic carrier bag, a packet of chewing gum, a lighter and the empty hip flask.

"Useful." He chuckled, offering Scully some of the gum, of which she took a stick gratefully. Mulder walked a few feet away and began to look for anything he could use to make a fire. Over by the rocky cliff he found some sticks. They were very dry, perfect for a campfire. He returned to Scully.

"It's gonna be so cold when the sun goes down. I'm gonna try to get a fire going. You wanna get some rest?"

"Okay." She replied with a small smile. "Then I can stay up at night. It'll be less cold if we keep talking."

Mulder managed to light a fire. It had caught very easily due to the heat and aridity of the desert. He looked over at Scully who had drifted off to sleep. His noticed how dry his mouth was and decided that they needed water, fast. He picked up the plastic carrier bag from where he had left it and began to tear it open into a tarp. He laid it down on the hot ground and pinned its edges with some rocks. Hopefully the heat would cause some condensation in the plastic and give them some water. Mulder knew it was a long shot, but it was worth a try.

Dusk had begun to fall as Scully woke up. She opened her eyes to see that desert had grown darker and cooler. She shivered slightly and noticed Mulder's shape silhouetted against the fire which was now blazing nearby.

"Mulder." She said, sitting up as best she could. He turned to her.

"Hey. You're awake at last! Sleep well?" He walked over to her and handed her the hip flask. "You must be thirsty. Drink some water."

"I though we had run out." Scully said, sipping the liquid appreciatively.

"We had, but I got us some more!" Mulder said proudly, as he sat down next to her. He told her all about his condensation invention. Scully was very impressed.

"Well done you!" She patted him affectionately on the shoulder.

"See, I can use science when I want to!" He chuckled and lay back with his hands behind his head to watch the stars appear as the daylight died.

"Thank you, Mulder." Scully said. "Thank you for rescuing me. I would have died in all that sand if you hadn't found me."

"You're welcome. It was the Chindi, Scully. It must have been." Mulder replied. "How else would all that sand get in?"

"Er, a sandstorm, maybe? A dust devil?" Scully said sceptically, watching Mulder gaze at the sky.

"Maybe you're right Scully." He sighed. "Maybe you're right, but _maybe_ it's the Chindi and it's out to get us!" He waved his hands and wiggled his fingers spookily. "Wooooo!"

Scully laughed, as together they watched the stars.

"You know," Scully began, "living in DC makes you forget about the stars. You can't see them in the city and I'd forgotten how beautiful they are." She tried to lie down, trying to make herself more comfortable.

"Here," Mulder shifted slightly so she could lay her head on his legs. "I make a good pillow."

"Thanks." Scully shivered again.

"You cold?" Mulder asked moving his right arm from under his head and placing in around Scully's middle. "Try not to go to sleep. We don't want to get hypothermia."

"Okay. Let's talk about something, and _not_ aliens, the government, conspiracies or anything like that!"

Night had completely fallen now, the only light coming from the moon, the burning fire, and the twinkling stars.

As they talked, staring at the sky, the agents did not notice a small cloud of sand begin to form. It grew larger and larger as it approached the fire. The fire crackled, and Mulder looked up at it.

There, beside the flames whirled a dust devil, now fully formed. Mulder gently but quickly pushed Scully off his legs and stood up.

"What is it Mulder?" she said, raising her head to see the large bat-like creature materialise from the sand before their eyes. It stood opposite Mulder, the two separated by the fire. The creature drew itself up to full height and in the firelight Mulder could see the gunshots he had inflicted in its chest and head. It let out its terrifying screech and flexed its wing-like arms, ready to attack the now defenceless humans.

**_  
Uh oh! Whats gonna happen? Keep reading! Penultimate chapter on the way asap!  
PLEASE give that button a little click! It makes me happy! :)_**


	9. Dust

_**Sorry about the long wait guys! I have exams on the go at the moment! But I thought I'd take a break from studying and get this up to keep you going! Hope you all had a wonderful Xmas and a happy New Year! Thanks for your patience and your wonderful reviews! This is the penultimate chapter, so I hope you all enjoy the ending which is coming up very soon! Thanks again!**_

**Chapter Nine**

**Dust**

The creature got ready to lunge at Mulder. He knew that they were defenceless, but what could he do? He had dropped his gun in the cave and Scully's was buried in the sand. He thought fast. Scully was on the ground behind him, silent.

"Scully," He said out of the corner of his mouth, "next time I wear shorts remind me to still bring my other gun and leg holster. It would be really useful at times like these."

"Mulder!" Scully yelled as the creature leapt over the fire towards him.

Mulder stooped down fast and grabbed a branch from the fire, driving the flames into the creature's body. It roared again and took a step backwards. Mulder waved the flaming branch back and forth in front of him.

"Come on then." He said confidently with all the bravery he could find. The creature continued to wail and pat its clawed hands on its burning chest. Mulder lunged at the creature again, setting its wings alight. It was weakened. It attempted put out the flames on its body, roaring and flapping its wings, still trying to attack Mulder despite its injuries. With every flap of its wings, the creature simply fanned the flames which covered it. He struck it again and again with the burning branch and eventually it gave a screech and fell to the floor. It lay on the sandy ground, staring up at Mulder with its red eyes. It roared one last malevolent roar which gave way to a rattling breath, and the creature was still.

Mulder let out a sigh and crouched down to take a look at the strange beast. He reached out to touch the now burnt flesh and fur, and as his fingers made contact with it, it turned to sand and fell, mingling into the rest of the desert.

On the ground, where it had lain, was a shard of glass. Mulder picked it up and turned it in his hand.

The creature was gone. It had disappeared into the sand from which it had come, and all that was left was this harmless piece of glass, glinting in the firelight.

"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust." Mulder said as he walked back to Scully. She looked frightened and asked,

"Do you think it's gone for good?"

Mulder nodded sincerely and was glad to see relief flood Scully's face. "Yes. The Navajo said the Chindi would only return to the sand once it and its spirit had been destroyed for good. They said that all that remained of a Chindi was a 'miracle crystal'." He gently handed her the piece of glass and sat down by her side. "A sand creature, when killed by heat, leaves no trace other than a piece of glass."

"That's actually very beautiful." Scully said. "And can actually be explained by science; sand, heat glass." She smiled thoughtfully and rested her head on Mulder's shoulder. "There aren't any more are out there are there?"

"I don't know Scully," He looked out into the mysterious desert, at the dark horizon. "And I don't really want to find out."

Both agents tried their hardest not to fall asleep. Mulder began to hum absentmindedly. Scully chuckled when she recognised the tune, Joy to the world. Scully began to feel sleepy. She settled her head on Mulder's lap as he continued to hum. He stopped before the chorus.

"Chorus!" Scully chirped. Mulder laughed and began to sing tunelessly.

"Joy to the world, all the boys and…Scully!"

"Girls! Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea…" Scully was interrupted by a huge yawn so Mulder finished the song.

"Joy to you and me!" He looked down at Scully; she was asleep. Mulder smiled and stroked her hair, but eventually sleep swept over him and he no longer tried to stop it.

The agents slept through the night, and as the first light of dawn began to break, the fire began to die out. The embers remained, the blackened wood sparkling with orange flecks in the dim, morning light.  
Mulder and Scully slept on; both exhausted by their ordeal, neither hearing the helicopter overhead.

_**Remember, just one little click will make my day! Thanks.**_


	10. Embers

_**Here it is, the final chapter**_**! **

**Chapter Ten**

**Embers**

Sunrise cast the shadow of a helicopter over the desert. AD Skinner had ordered a search for his two agents. He had not heard from them for almost four days and was unable to reach either of their cell phones.

"There's a light down there Sir." The pilot pointed down into the desert. "And two people."

Skinner peered down through the window.

"That's them! Take us down." Through his binoculars Skinner zoomed in on the agents and saw the last burning embers of the fire glinting in the morning light. "They both look in pretty bad shape." He added to the co-pilot, "Radio out for an EMS."

Mulder opened his eyes as a strong breeze ruffled his hair. A helicopter descended from the bright blue sky and landed on the sand. Its landing disturbed the heat haze and the horizon seemed to ripple before Mulder's eyes. On his lap, in his arms, Scully slept on as the familiar figure walked towards them, bent against the gusts of the rotor blades.

"Mulder!" Skinner called, "Let's get you both in the chopper! Come on!"

The next day dawned windy and wet in Washington DC. Mulder and Scully had been rescued the previous morning. In his hospital bed, Mulder lay awake, staring at the ceiling. He reached down to his abdomen and scratched an itch under the bandage around his chest. The wound in his side had become infected. The doctors and nurses had patched him up very well and he was now recovering on a strong, steady course of antibiotics. There was a knock on the door and Mulder looked up to see Scully enter the room very slowly, still getting used to her crutches. Her leg had been plastered and bandaged and would be good as knew in a few months.

"Morning Mulder." She said as she hobbled over to his bedside and lowered herself into the chair. "How are you feeling?"

"Good." Mulder answered reaching out and taking her hand. "How about you Scully?"

"Not too bad, I guess. I just won't be chasing after any monsters for a while." She smiled at him. "Thank you, Mulder." She squeezed his hand. "Thanks for rescuing me. I know it sounds cliché, but I owe you my life." She looked down at her leg, embarrassed now. Mulder smiled at her.

"You're welcome, Scully." He squeezed her hand this time and she looked up at him, into his smiling face. "I'd do it again in a heartbeat." His eyes were filled with warmth as Scully smiled back at him, neither of them wanting to look away. Then… the door opened again and in walked AD Skinner. Mulder and Scully both released the other's hand quickly, but reluctantly.

"I'm glad to see you're looking better!" Skinner said, coming over. "How you both feeling?"

Mulder and Scully mumbled their replies.

"Good. I'm sorry about this. I know you've both been through a lot, but I have to remind you that your report needs writing ASAP."

The agents nodded slowly. Skinner looked around the room, then back at Mulder.

"I spoke to the doctor and he says you can be back at work in two weeks, Agent Mulder."

Mulder sighed and then nodded. "Yes, sir. You can count on me." He glanced at Scully and rolled his eyes. The corners of her mouth turned up in a slight smirk. Either Skinner didn't notice, or he was ignoring them but he carried on speaking.

"Well, I'll leave you to your rest. I'll see you soon." He turned and crossed to the door. "Oh and in your report please be sure to explain _everything_. Don't just write unexplained, Mulder." He smiled at them, and was gone.

Scully looked at Mulder. "Explain _that_? I don't even know what happened! It _was_ completely _un_explained, Mulder. What are we gonna write?"

"I dunno. The usual?" he smiled at her in his usual nonchalant way, and couldn't resist taking her hand in his again. She sighed contentedly and ran a hand through her hair.

"Dr Scully, can you pass me my meds?" Mulder asked, indicating a little paper cup of pills on the nightstand. Scully grabbed the cup and handed it to him, all the while with her left hand clasped tightly in his. Mulder swallowed the pills with a gulp and drank the water Scully then handed to him. She sighed again, clearly preoccupied, worry showing through her eyes.

"You…we could have died…What _was_ that thing, Mulder? Why did it attack _us_?"

Mulder wiped a trickle of water from his chin, looked at her gently, flecks of gold in his hazel eyes, and took her other hand. The worry in her eyes faltered and seemed to dissipate at his touch.

"It doesn't matter now Scully. All that matters is that we are safe together and on the mend. We may _never_ know; it's an X-file after all. And now there's nothing left of it; just dust and embers."

**_Extra-special author's note!_**

_**Hi guys! Thanks for reading! All reviews, as usual, are more than welcome!**_

_**Also, I need to ask you all a favour! Pretty please?**_

_**Which of these stories would you like me to begin uploading in instalments like I did with 'Dust and Embers'?  
Let me know in a review or message! **_

_**Your help is much appreciated and I would love to know which story you most like the sound of and would want to read next!  
They will all be written eventually! Here are the choices and their blurbs! Enjoy!**_

**"Trust Some1"  
****_- What if Mulder had made it back to Scully and William in Trust No1? What if he got off the train and met Scully on the platform like he was supposed to?  
_**  
**"When the East wind arrives…"  
**_**-While taking a well earned holiday in China, Mulder and Scully find themselves in the middle of a series of strange events as an ancient secret is uncovered.**_

**"Out of the Mist"  
_-Whatever it was, there was no easy way to stop it. All they knew was that it came out of the mist.  
(A story inspired by all those episodes where Mulder and Scully venture into the woods, but with my own special twist; nothing happens in the correct order!)_**

"**One bright clear morning"****  
_- Mulder and Doggett wake up to find themselves with swapped bodies! Uh oh!_**

**"Flight Into Terror"  
_- Mulder and Scully encounter danger on a ten-hour flight.  
(Set in real time!)_**

**"Where Angels Fear to Tread"  
**-_**How many risks was Mulder prepared to take for me and my family?  
**__**(Scully's POV)**_


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